I got lots of Zzzzzzzs yesterday. I’m current with replies. Tomorrow appears OK, but on Monday I have two routine medical appointments on one day, so expect no more than an Open Thread on Monday, if that.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:59 (average 4:38). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From MoveOn: Reason #8493 Jon Stewart Is Pretty Much One Of The Smartest People On Television

The irony here is that whether or not to hate IS a choice, just as it is a choice for the Republican Party to pander to those who are drowning in their own hatred.

From Click on Detroit: "Today, Governor Snyder has decided to unilaterally take over control of the City of Detroit from its democratically elected leaders. This is nothing but a hostile take-over; we would expect this from a CEO, but not from a Governor,” said Michigan Democratic Party Chair, Lon Johnson.

There are real problems in Detroit, but we will only solve them with everyone at the table. We should trust in the democratic process. The process advocated by our Governor is one of subtraction – removing elected leaders, removing stakeholders, removing the voices of the people.

Herr Schneider is goose-stepping a great city into the clutches of fascism.

First of all, there is no Jedi mind meld. It is a Vulcan mind meld. Obama is certainly no Vulcan. If he were, Republicans would accuse him of being an alien, demand to see his birth certificate, and call him a Muslim. Furthermore, Spock only had to mind meld with a Horta, and Hortas are FAR more human than Republican politicians.

15 Responses to “Open Thread–3/2/2013”

"At what age did you choose not to be gay?" is the perfect response to GOP hatred towards LBGT people. It should always be asked in the face of that hatred, with the expectation of an answer. Demand an answer.

I agree with you Patty about Jon Stewart. If somebody is going to be successful at political and social comedy and satire, they must first know what the hell is going on, otherwise they can't comment, humourously or otherwise. It truly is an art form!

Puzzle — 3:42 I'm with you Patty — so much of the same or very similar colours can be deceiving.

MoveOn — He is so spot on! A lifestyle choice when used in conjunction with being gay is a total misnomer. As Stewart says: "At what age did you choose not to be gay?" A perfect look at the issue from the other side of the coin, so to speak. Personally, I never chose not to be gay, and I'm not, and I have friends that never chose to be gay, but they are!

Click on Detroit — I don't know what is going on in Detroit — it just isn't news here on the west coast of Canada (unless it is about the 8-3 thumping of the Canucks by the Red Wings of course!). However, from a business point of view, there are times when a leader has to take the bull by the horns and deal with important issues. But in doing that, especially in cases like this, it should never be done to the exclusion of the local management team. The old saying "Honey attracts more flies than vinegar" rings a note of truth. Schneider has jack-booted himself into a situation into a situation that needs more finesse, negotiation and influence. And in doing so, he has shown his Republican/Teabagger colours. If I recall, didn't he do the same thing in Flint and another small town on the lakeshore that took him to court and won back their town from the "king's men"?

Youtube — "Obama is certainly no Vulcan. If he were, Republicans would accuse him of being an alien, demand to see his birth certificate, and call him a Muslim." But they did accuse him of being an alien — the birthers, a Kenyan, and a Muslim. I wish he were a Vulcan so he could mind meld with the Republican/Teabaggers and turn them into respectable humanbeings and politicians.

Cartoon — I didn't know anything about Hayes so naturally I googled him. Seems he and Harry Reid have something in common, handshake agreements with the opposition (no documentation).

In 1876, Hayes was elected president in one of the most contentious and hotly disputed elections in American history. Although he lost the popular vote to Democrat Samuel J. Tilden, Hayes won the presidency by the narrowest of margins after a Congressional commission awarded him twenty disputed electoral votes in the Compromise of 1877: the Democrats acquiesced to Hayes's election and Hayes accepted the end of military occupation of the South. . . .

The Compromise of 1877, also known as "The Great Betrayal",[1] refers to a purported informal, unwritten deal that settled the intensely disputed 1876 U.S. presidential election, and ended Reconstruction in the South. … The compromise essentially stated that Southern Democrats would acknowledge Hayes as president, but only on the understanding that Republicans would meet certain demands. The following elements are generally said to be the points of the compromise:

The removal of all federal troops from the former Confederate States. (Troops remained in only Louisiana, South Carolina, and Florida, but the Compromise finalized the process.)
The appointment of at least one Southern Democrat to Hayes's cabinet. (David M. Key of Tennessee became Postmaster General.)
The construction of another transcontinental railroad using the Texas and Pacific in the South (this had been part of the "Scott Plan," proposed by Thomas A. Scott, which initiated the process that led to the final compromise).
Legislation to help industrialize the South and get them back on their feet after the terrible loss during the Civil War.

In exchange, Democrats would:

Peacefully accept Hayes's presidency.

Has anything really changed? The current southern Republican/Teabaggers are still crying foul and haven't learned that the Civil War is over.

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